WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2013, U.S. News & World Report today released its fifth annual Best Nursing Homes ratings, highlighting the top nursing homes in each state and nearly 100 major metropolitan areas. The ratings cover more than 15,000 nursing homes nationwide and are freely available at http://www.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes.

More than 3 million Americans will spend at least part of 2013 in a nursing home. Too often, they and their families will encounter great difficulty in choosing the right nursing home. Best Nursing Homes will simplify their work by helping them pick a home with a strong track record, whether they live in California, which has twice as many highly rated homes as any other state, or in a region where good nursing homes may be few and far between.

Visit homes at different times and on different days of the week to make sure residents are occupied throughout the day;

Look for signs that staff has a close relationship with residents, such as calling them by name and making sure they eat;

Ask to see inspection reports, then ask how any safety or health problems were resolved;

Review hidden costs, such as physical therapy or dentist appointments.

Best Nursing Homes also provides advice on spotting warning signs of bad care and how to pay for care. The articles and searchable database of ratings are exclusive to the website and aren’t expected to appear in print.

To create Best Nursing Homes, U.S. News drew on data from Nursing Home Compare, run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the federal agency that sets and enforces standards for nursing homes. U.S. News awarded the “Best Nursing Home” designation to homes that recently earned an overall rating of five stars, the agency’s highest. Each home is also rated separately on quality of care, health-inspections record, and level of nurse staffing.

“Using trustworthy data, we’ve built a consumer-friendly tool to help seniors and their families confront one of life’s most difficult and anxious transitions,” says Avery Comarow , U.S. News Health Rankings Editor. “Best Nursing Homes makes it easier for consumers to identify nursing homes that can best meet their needs in terms of location, quality of care, staffing, and more. All seniors deserve the best nursing care available, and we’ve made sure the information they need is at their fingertips.”

About U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is a multi-platform publisher of news and analysis, which includes the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com, and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Personal Finance, Education, Travel, Cars, and Public Service/Opinion, U.S. News has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. U.S. News & World Report’s signature franchise includes its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its annual “Best” series of consumer web guides and publications, which include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, mutual funds, health plans, and more.